Kurzmeldung

14.03.2019 - Using evidence for a more effective development policy and practice: The role of evidence synthesis

Campbell Collaboration and DEval aim to bring together policy-makers, practitioners, and researchers/evaluators to discuss evidence-based policy-making and evidence-based program design for development effectiveness. The conference will take place from 9th-10th May 2019 in Bonn. Registration is open until 31st March 2019, 12:00 MET.

How can Germany’s development cooperation become more effective? Effectiveness of development cooperation takes centre stage in the new strategy of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) “Entwicklungspolitik 2030”. This explicitly concerns both bi- and multilateral channels and both state and civil-society actors. Deciding on which approach or type of intervention is more effective requires empirical evidence. Evidence-based policy-making and evidence-based program design therefore have a critical role in furthering an agenda of development effectiveness.

Given the multitude of empirical studies and the limited time that political decision makers and practitioners have at their disposal, it is necessary to synthesize evidence concerning one field of intervention (e.g., female empowerment, WASH or climate change adaptation) across different studies and formulate the core insights of the research area. Systematic reviews that summarize the existing evidence in a particular field of intervention as well as graphical evidence (gap) maps that illustrate where there already is evidence and where it is still lacking have been the most prominent tools to move beyond the results of individual studies. How do these synthesis tools work? How can they guide effective policy-making and programming? What approaches have been used to support policy up take of research findings? What are the potentials and limitations of these tools?

Evidence-based policy-making and programming further require an enabling environment that promotes the use of insights from (synthesized) evidence. Creating or strengthening such an enabling environment may include incorporating the use of evidence in institutional processes and creating relevant incentives for program planners. What is the status quo of the use of evidence in development policy-making and programming? How could the enabling environment for evidence-based policy-making be strengthened?

The aim of this conference is to bring together policy-makers, practitioners, and researchers/evaluators to

- Learn about the state-of-the-art of synthesizing evidence above all systematic reviews and evidence (gap) maps by looking at concrete examples from the fields of (a) children’s and women’s rights and empowerment and (b) WASH (c) climate Change

- Discuss the potentials and limitations of these tools for informing development policy and practice;

- Reflect on the state of the current enabling environment for an evidence-based development policy and practice as well as possible ways Forward.

The final program will be announced by April 2019. We strive for a balance between policy-makers, practitioners and researchers/evaluators across disciplines. Since the number of registrations is limited to 90 on Thursday and 70 on Friday we ask each organization/research group to send one representative only. Please preregister as early as possible for conference participation, latest by 31st March 2019, 12 pm MET, using the following online registration form https://www.soscisurvey.de/CCatDEval2019/. It is possible to register either for both conference days or for one day only.

Submissions of extended abstracts (1-2 pages) for poster presentations are welcome. The submitted research shall be an evidence synthesis (e.g. systematic review, meta-analysis, evidence gap map) in a field relevant to development cooperation. Please submit your extended abstract latest by 31st March 2019, 12 pm MET, to Mr. Constantin Grywatz: Constantin.Grywatz@deval.org. In case you submit an abstract, please fill out the online registration form, too: https://www.soscisurvey.de/CCatDEval2019/.